Question RE: new info from jkr.com

[justcarol67]

> Now loony:
> HereI come with the latin... I knew Felix= Lucky, fortunate, but I 
> was completely stumped on felictis, so I asked my latin teacher and 
> it means...lucky, fortunate.  So it's lucky lucky or Lucky (felix = 
> nominative singular) felictis = either of lucky or luckies (direct 
> object) Filectis is either Genitive singular or accusitive plural.  
> I'm still not absolutely sure about which translation is correct, 
> felictis could also be a variation on feliciter, luckily, but both 
> words definately have luck involved with them.  I am somehow 
> reminded of dear old Ludo.
> Hope this helps,
> ~~loony, happy to be the first on the latin for once


Carol:
I was also thinking nominative singular (felix) and genitive singular
(felicis), no "t." That's how Latin adjectives are glossed (see the
second post in this thread). So it would mean "happy of happy" or
"fortunate of fortunate." I hadn't thought about it being a spell (a
longer lasting cheering charm)? I can't really see it being the
subject of a chapter if it's a spell. I do think it's the lionlike
man, with a "Felix the Cat"-style pun (felix=happy, felis=cat, as the
originators of the old cartoon obviously knew). It strikes me as
fitting JKR's love of pun and dry sense of humor. Although chapter 14
seems late, he could be the DADA instructor. He could also be the HPB
though the name seems to fit the alliterative pattern for a pureblood,
as does the Latin first name. But then, there's Remus Lupin, whom
we're told is a halfblood, so FF could be as well.

Carol